


Nightmare

by LigerCat



Series: Why is this a 'verse? [8]
Category: Phineas and Ferb
Genre: Attempted Assisted Suicide, Body Horror, Brotherly Love, Bullying, Chubby Phineas, Dreamscapes, Emotional Hurt, Gen, Heavy Angst, Hurt No Comfort, Nightmares, Out of Character, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Hatred, Self-Worth Issues, Suicidal Thoughts, Unrealistic Weight Gain, Weight Gain, Weight Issues, binge eating, not kinky, phineas needs a hug, sadly he doesn't want one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-22
Updated: 2019-09-22
Packaged: 2020-10-26 00:07:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20732963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LigerCat/pseuds/LigerCat
Summary: Fears aren't always rational. Nightmares even less so.





	Nightmare

**Author's Note:**

> Don't own.

Phineas was sitting at the dinner table. There was talking, his parents, but the words flowed over him in a jumbled mess.

An overfilled plate of food sat in front of him. His parents' plates weren't that full, or Ferb's.

He took a bite of his food. Once swallowed, it set off something. Without thought, he started shoveling it into his mouth.

Spoon. Chew. Swallow. Repeat. It was something he'd done too many times on autopilot, but never with others around.

No matter how much he ate off the plate, it still seems like there's just as much there. He doesn't care. He's not even completely aware of it. It's all a blur until he leans forward to catch a piece of food about fall from his spoon and the entire table jerked with him.

The talking cut off as sudden as a switch flipping.

Phineas blinked.

He watched as his mom's expression goes from surprise to disgust, her lips curling back as he looks at him.

"What?" He turned from her to his dad.

Lawrence looked more disappointed but Phineas can still see the disgust in his eyes.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" When they didn't answer, he glanced at Ferb, who just adverts his gaze.

Blinking again, Phineas dropped his head. His eyes widened. "No." The word came out as a whisper. "That's not... that's not possible."

He couldn't see his legs. All he could see was the mound of flesh pooling out from under his scrunched up t-shirt and leaking over the sides of the chair. The way his shirt was bunched up on his chest convinced him that if he touched it, he'd find more fat there.

But he couldn't bring himself to move to check.

"How did I end up with such a repulsive child?" Linda spit at him, the voice hers but twisted.

"Mom-"

"Don't call me that." She glared at him, suddenly standing. "You don't deserve to call me that."

"But-I-" The words caught in his throat. "I'm not... I'm not this fat."

"Lies!" Linda towered over him. "Now you're lying. Can you do nothing but bring us shame? I did my best raising you, we both did, and you still turn out like this."

Tears burned Phineas' eyes. "Please-"

"We'd be better off if you were dead!"

Closing his eyes, Phineas shook his head. "This isn't right..." Opening them, he called out to the one person there who had to help him. "Ferb."

"I'm sorry, Phineas." Ferb still didn't look at him. "Mum's right. It's gone too far."

"No. No! This isn't happening!" Phineas backed away from his family.

"Phineas should die."

He wasn't sure who said it, but it sent Phineas running. At least, it felt like he was running. His legs were moving, the mounds of fat jiggled and bounced with each step, but after leaving the room, his surroundings didn't change. It felt like he was stuck running in place.

And then he wasn't.

He tried to shove himself backwards on the bathroom floor, but he couldn't move himself. The reason why was obvious, his belly had more than doubled in size from how large it was at the table. Even if his legs could lift that much weight, he wouldn't be able to fit through the door.

Ferb stood in the doorway.

"Ferb, I don't what's happening." Tears rolled down his chubby cheeks.

Walking into the room, Ferb stopped in front of him and crouched down. "It has to end." No emotion carried in his voice. He pulls one hand from behind him, brandishing a knife.

Phineas tried to lean back. "No, you-you wouldn't."

Shaking his head, turned the knife around so the handle faced Phineas. His eyes bored into Phineas'. "Not me."

A hysterical laugh bubbled up from Phineas. "You can't be serious."

"Do you want to live like this?" Ferb spat. "Some fat, ugly pig. No one can care about you like this. You're nothing but a failure." He held the blade closer to Phineas. "You're useless. The only thing you can do now is free us from you."

"But I don't want to die."

"Do you want to live like this?"

Phineas stared at himself.

_"Phineas!"_

He blinked at the disembodied voice.

_"Phineas!"_

"Take it!" Ferb thrust the knife into his grip.

Dimly, his thick fingers tightened around the handle.

"Just two cuts and we'll be free of you."

_"Phineas! Wake up!"_

Pain shot through the side of Phineas' face. He gasped, eyes popping open.

Ferb leaned over him, his wide eyes and sleep-tussled hair giving him a maniacal appearance, but it didn't match the one Phineas had seen on his face moments before.

Breath coming in quick gasps, Phineas' eyes jumped around the room. Their bedroom. His hands shot to his stomach. While there was a gut there, it wasn't anything compared to what he'd seen in... in the dream. It was just a dream.

Ferb blinked down at him.

"I'm fine," he croaked, throat strangely raw.

"You were yelling."

Phineas' eyes closed, his hands gripping the excess material of his shirt. He could read into Ferb's statement, _You were screaming. It woke me up, and would have woken up our parents if we hadn't soundproofed the room._ "Simeon?"

To Phineas' surprise, Ferb snorted lightly. "I'm starting to believe we've lucked out when it comes to the things he can sleep through."

"Good." Phineas tried to make himself relax. "Go back to bed then."

Ferb didn't move.

"You don't have to stay there until I fall asleep. I'm a big boy." He flinched at his own unfortunate word choice.

The raft bed shifted as Ferb stood. A few seconds later the light flipped off.

Phineas rolled onto his side to face his brother's side of the room. "Ferb."

Only silence met him but he knew Ferb was listening.

"Would-" _you still want me around if I got fatter? If I couldn't move around on my own? If I got that bad, would you still care about me?_

_ Or would you want me to just die?_

The actual questions refused to form on his tongue. As powerful as the urge to hear Ferb say he would still want him around was, some irrational part of him was terrified Ferb wouldn't give him those reassurances.

Phineas let out a shaky breath. "Did you slap me?" At the continued silence, Phineas mustered up a fake smile, even if Ferb wouldn't be able to see it in the dark. "Yeah, I thought so."

Rolling onto his other side, his smile grew slightly genuine when his hand brushed Perry. Pulling the platypus to his chest, he curled up and closed his eyes.

There wasn't a single hitch in his breathing as his tears soaked into his pillow.


End file.
